08/28/2025
My kids climbed their first mountain on Monday. Their little legs climbed over 1,300 ft in elevation, 3.6 miles round trip. It was amazing!
Not surprisingly, I found myself coaching them through our adventure.
Physically, of course (drink water, pay attention to where you put your feet, etc).
Even more so mentally.
The kind of mindset work that I've needed to rely on.
🔷 Psyching them up on the way to the mountain. "We can do hard things, especially when we do them together!"
🔷 Overcoming challenges throughout the hike. "Let's focus on how good we'll feel when we make it to the top!" (instead of how much our legs hurt)
🔷 Celebrating at the summit. "Look at where you are! You're at the top of a mountain. YOU did this!"
🔷 Reflecting at the bottom. "How are you guys feeling about what you just accomplished?"
Let's be perfectly clear. The four-hour hike wasn't stress-free. There was whining, some minor falls, a little bickering, flares of impatience. But it was SO worth it. Mostly, they were troopers. Lovely, wide-eyed, curious hiking companions. There were a whole bunch of moments worthy of mental snapshots. These two are my absolute favorite:
💚 My son's face when we made it to the top. A mix of thrill, awe, satisfaction. And in his little 4-year-old voice he said on repeat, "Mama, I'm just so impressed!" (He was obsessed with the view of Lake George. And also terrified me when he said next time he was going to jump off the mountain into that water. We obviously had a nice long chat about why that can't happen lol.)
💚 My daughter as we neared the end. Slight shock and amusement in her voice when she almost chuckled, "Mama, I'm so proud of myself." Baby girl, I'm proud of you too.
My heart.
This day will stick with me.
Doing hard things is 100% worth it.
